Half Past Three
by Apple Turnover
Summary: AkuRoku fanfic.Roxas loves to get ice cream every day.


It was half past three o'clock. Every day at this time, he felt an overwhelming desire to go to his favorite ice cream parlor, maybe out of force of habit. On this particular day, it sounded especially good, the warm air leaving everything in a glutinous mush.

40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90…and 100. he exchanged his 100 munny to the ice cream counter girl, who didn't even have to ask what he wanted. He came here every day at this exact time, and always got the same flavor.

"One sea salt ice cream bar, have a nice day!" she said with a smile. Roxas smiled an obligatory smile and took the ice cream to a cool table shaded by a massive umbrella. He took the first lick of his ice cream and shuddered with the sudden explosion of salty sweetness, a flavor he loved but never got used to.

Letting himself unwind as the ice melted between his lips, he examined his surroundings. It was the same as it was every day. At 3:30, middle school kids started coming home from school, gabbing mindlessly about boys and girls. At 3:30 housewives took a break from daily chores to go on a jog or whatever it is that they do. At 3:30, HE was always sitting there, staring into space.

Roxas could never quite understand if he came here to mope or think. Underneath the mass of red hair was a face that looked like it knew what it wanted in life. Apparently it had no idea how to get what it wanted in life though, because he had been coming here every day since Roxas remembered, and nothing ever changed within his expression. He even spent every day in the same umbrella-clad couples' table, alone and blank.  
Roxas couldn't help but stare at him. Why did he do this same thing every day? If he wanted something, couldn't he just go ahead and go for it?

The man caught Roxas's stare and smiled.

"Do I have something on my face?" he joked. Roxas turned away and rolled his eyes, continuing to eat his ice cream. There was a wet plop as the half melted ice cream fell on the table and began melting into a puddle of creamy blue.

"Darnit…" he muttered under his breath, trying to keep the mess from trickling onto his clothes. As he sat in his predicament, he saw the red head chuckle and get up.

"I'll have one sea salt ice cream." he asked the cashier, and grabbed a small stack of napkins from the dispenser. He handed her 100 munny, and turned to a fast paced walk toward Roxas. "Here are some Napkins and another sea salt ice cream. Enjoy." he smiled and sat down under the shady umbrella with him.

"Thank you…" he said shakily, slightly uncomfortable with being helped all of a sudden, and began using the napkins to pick up the melted ice cream.

"I'm Axel." he held out his hand to the blonde,

"Roxas, nice to meet you." he said, taking a break from the mess to oblige him with a brief handshake.

"So, you like to come here every day, too? You like ice cream, huh?" he asked, taking advantage of the opportunity for conversation.

"Yeah, they have my favorite flavor here, and it's a nice setting to relax after school and everything, you know?" he explained. Axel curled his lips up in a smirk.

"I know what you mean," he said, chuckling a bit. "this place is nice and quiet. Not a lot of people usually come down here."

"Isn't it nice?"

"Eh…yeah. It's OK. To be honest I've been waiting for someone… I knew them before but they don't remember me. When I knew them, this was their favorite place to come. That was their favorite flavor too." Lost in a sad nostalgia, Axel's smirk weakened into a sad smile. "I kind of wish they remembered me."

Roxas tried to say some comforting words, but found he was unable. Looking at the ground, anywhere to avoid eye contact, he decided to continue the conversation. "Where they a really good friend of yours or something?" he inquired before taking a huge mouthful of the ice cream.

Axel perked up a little, as his eyes opened a little wider, his smile completely gone. "Yeah…well…Kind of like a lover…I guess." he breathed, pulling his hand up to his hair, scratching his head.

"What was her name?"

There was a silence. The sounds of the day could be heard. Children playing, and screaming joyously in the distance, and the wind's gentle breeze created a soft white noise.

"Roxas." he quietly answered. "Don't worry. Anyways…I should probably go." Axel said, getting up to leave in a slightly humiliated rush.

Roxas wasn't quite sure what he had meant. He had been waiting here every day for Roxas to remember him? Axel waited... Not quite understanding, shock overtook his expression as he struggled to grasp on to the words he wasn't sure he wanted to say.

"Axel, wait."

Axel stopped, shock becoming contagious.

"I'm not sure I entirely understand what's going on…"

Axel turned around stiffly, a painful smile painted across his face. "Listen, Roxas, it's OK. Just don't worry about it. I'll stop coming here to see you. I'll never come near you again."

Roxas shook his head, blue eyes getting wet with tears. "Did we used to come here together?"

"Every day at 3:30." he answered in a trice, and Roxas understood why he came here.

"Then it would feel empty without you." he said as he walked the length of the table to get closer to his supposed boyfriend. He gave Axel an awkward hug, stiff and out of practice.

"Did you suddenly remember something?"

"No. But it just feels right...I think we could start over again…" he shivered in his voice, his whole body shaking with…joy? overwhelm? It was a happy kind of sad longing feeling.

Again there was silence, the sounds of the rest of the world blocked out with the sounds of breath that wanted to hold back tears of joy. Axel just smiled and ran his hand over the blonde hair.

"Hey Axel, did we ever kiss?" Roxas asked again. Axel smiled.

"The past doesn't matter." he sighed. "We can have our first new kiss."

Roxas smiled as green eyes met blue, Roxas stood on his toes as Axel bent down And gently rested their lips together, softness like velvet to eachother. The outside world faded out of mind as everything seemed to come together for Roxas.

"Axel…I'm glad I'm with you again."


End file.
